LAKE MARY, Fla. — Florida’s prison inmates could soon get cash for giving police tips about unsolved crimes.
Starting July 1, Crime Stoppers will offer the state’s 100,000 prisoners a reward for helping investigators solve crimes.
The program will only be available to state prisoners, not county jail inmates.
Officials will also reach out to ex-convicts on probation.
"There are hundreds of unsolved cases in Florida,’’ said Ken Tucker, secretary of the Department of Corrections, in a prepared statement. “With this partnership with Crime Stoppers, the State Attorney General's office and FDLE, we are hoping to close as many of those cases as possible."
Crime Stoppers will provide an anonymous tip line for prison inmates to report information. All Crime Stoppers tipsters are eligible for rewards of up to $1,000.
According to the Florida Association of Crime Stoppers website, money for the rewards comes from a trust fund made up of fines paid by criminals as part of their court costs. None of the money comes from taxpayer dollars.
WFTV
